The Minnesota Vikings have already begun to make significant moves ahead of NFL free agency.

Vikings Make Significant Free Agency Moves for Sam Darnold, Byron Murphy

The Minnesota Vikings have already begun to make significant moves ahead of NFL free agency.

The first was to move the contract void date for running back Aaron Jones, who is more than likely going to receive a contract extension from the team.V

Vikings Drop Major Hint at Aaron Jones’ Future With Team in Big Free Agency Move Now, the Vikings have made a very significant move that impacts both Sam Darnold and Byron Murphy. NFL insider Dan Graziano stated that the Vikings have made a very impactful move regarding star cornerback Byron Murphy. “Per a league source, the Vikings and CB Byron Murphy have agreed to push back the void date on his contract.

Originally, the deal voided 23 days prior to the start of the league year (either today or tomorrow). Now, it’s the day before the start of the league year, which means Murphy cannot be franchised (since that date is past the deadline for teams to use the franchise tag).

Interestingly, they did NOT reach the same agreement with QB Sam Darnold, whose contract still voids 23 days before the start of the league year. If they don’t do a new deal with Darnold before the contract voids, then $5 million in remaining signing bonus proration would accelerate onto their 2025 salary cap as dead money for Sam Darnold. Upshot here:

They still CAN franchise Darnold, but can’t franchise Murphy or Aaron Jones (who also pushed his void date back).” The Vikings officially moved the contract void date for Murphy, meaning that the team will have a longer time to work out a multi-year extension. What this means is that neither Murphy nor Jones can be franchise-tagged.

The issue with this move is that it means the Vikings will miss the window on extending Darnold. The star quarterback can still be franchise-tagged, but he can no longer receive a long-term deal past the start of the league year. The Vikings would also incur a $5 million dead cap bonus or Darnold.

This might mean the team will look to franchise tag him. This could especially be true considering both Jones and Murphy are seemingly going to get new deals. Darnold being tagged could help the Vikings keep him under center for one year, especially if McCarthy needs more time to heal.